Tag: nicholas-hoult

Nosferatu (2024)

  • Director: Robert Eggers
  • Screenplay: Robert Eggers
  • Cast: Bill Skarsgard, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Ralph Ineson, Simon McBurney, Willem Dafoe
  • Cinematography: Jarin Blaschke
  • Editing: Louise Ford
  • Score: Robin Carolan
  • Genre: Gothic horror
  • Runtime: 132 minutes

The silent horror ‘Nosferatu‘ (1922) is given the big screen remake treatment by gothic auteur Robert Eggers (‘The Lighthouse‘, ‘The Northman‘). The concept of Nosferatu was created as a way of honouring Bram Stoker’s classic vampire novel ‘Dracula‘ without infringing on copyright laws, thus, character names were changed and the setting moved to mountainous Germany.

An estate agent, Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult), is tasked by his employer to sell a crumbling manor to the mysterious Count Orlok – in doing so, he must travel (by phantom carriage, naturally) to the Count’s castle in the Carpathian mountains. Upon their meeting, the nocturnal Orlok displays a taste for human blood…and a fascination for Hutter’s new bride, Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp, overacting to the max).

As the original was silent (although accompanied by a musical score), this all-screaming, all-biting version allows the narrative to be fleshed out, with a deeper exploration of emotions. Though with the inclusion of words, it risks becoming a tad verbose – my interest started to wane when the dialogue threatened to mar the eerie atmosphere. Likewise whenever my eyes witnessed any unnecessary nudity. I had fears that giving the formerly mute Count Orlok a voice would diminish his power but Bill Skarsgard’s vocal presence assured me otherwise; the character design was more zombified German nobleman, less pointy-eared, wide-eyed space creature.

The film’s colour palette is drained of warmth, as if it too had been sucked dry by the fangs of a vampire – a certain chill in the air can be felt while viewing the gorgeously bleak visuals.

The antecedent ‘Nosferatu‘ (available to watch on Amazon Prime of all places) still holds up as a body of work a whole century later (an incredible feat). Will 2024’s overlong ode to vampirism endure in the public consciousness for a similar hundred? Wake me from my coffin and let me know when the time comes.

My rating: 6 / 10

Juror #2 (2024)

  • Director: Clint Eastwood
  • Screenwriter: Jonathan Abrams
  • Cast: Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, J.K. Simmons, Chris Messina, Zoey Deutch, Kiefer Sutherland
  • Cinematographer: Yves Bélanger
  • Editing: Joel Cox, David Cox
  • Score: Mark Mancina
  • Genre: Legal thriller
  • Runtime: 114 minutes

This may well be Clint Eastwood’s last project in any capacity; whether in front of, or behind the camera. He’s 94 after all. It’s possibly working on this movie that’s kept his mind focused, and therefore, alive.

The story concerns a murder trial; a man is accused of murdering his girlfriend (her body is discovered by a hiker below a bridge). The couple had had a disagreement in a bar one night and when the girlfriend stormed off, he followed her outside. The man, who was witnessed being aggressive towards her, is guilty in the majority of the jury’s eyes – the irony here is that the young woman is played by director’s daughter Francesca Eastwood, who was recently arrested for domestic violence.

Justin Kemp (Nicholas Hoult) believes the man’s innocence but only because…Kemp actually committed the crime himself, initially thinking he’d just hit a deer with his car. As this is revealed early on, we see his attempt to sway the unanimous jury to reconsider their dogmatic view of the accused and save an innocent soul from spending the rest of his life in prison. 12 Angry Men? 1 Guilty Man.

With a solid supporting cast (Toni Collette as the ambitious prosecutor running for District Attorney, and Chris Messina as the defence), ‘Juror #2‘ is an excellent courtroom drama, and beautifully shot; fans of the genre will appreciate Eastwood’s take on it. It makes you think about the consequences if the guilt-ridden Kemp turned himself in; he and his partner are expecting a baby a year on from a miscarriage – would he be depriving that child of a father figure? Would this be a worse outcome for the community? It reminds me of Superman’s slogan: ‘Truth, Justice, and the American Way’. Are truth and justice mutually exclusive?

Should it be so, ‘Juror #2‘ serves as a respectable final entry in the filmography of the legendary Mr. Eastwood.

My rating: 8 / 10